Kershaw and Harper. Men among boys. Get these two cards now while they're affordable

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Kershaw and Harper. Men among boys. Get these two cards now while they're affordable

There are a number of players in the game right now that display freakish abilities at their position. Justin Verlander is a future Hall of Famer on the mound. Miguel Cabrera is as good a hitter as there's been in 50 years. Matt Kemp has more tools than a Craftsman Workbench. King Felix is Nasty. Joey Votto could roll out of bed and go 3 for 5.

Last year, it was Mike Trout going off. He had not only one of the greatest seasons ever by a rookie, he had one of the greatest all-around seasons in MLB history. He deservedly won the American League Rookie of the Year, and was second in the MVP. Only Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown kept him from joining Ichiro and Fred Lynn as the only players to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. And Mike Trout's cards skyrocketed.

Fast forward one year, and there's another young man who's about to shoot off for the Stratosphere. He was the Rookie of the Year in the National League last year. But just like the tip of the iceberg seen a mile away, you haven't seen anything yet.

His certified autographs are already expensive. But his first Bowman Chrome card, his USA Baseball issue from 2010, is still affordable. You can get a raw card for $75. A Beckett graded 9.5 can be had for a C Note. As Harper takes off, so, too will this card. You look at how he treats a baseball, and it's jaw dropping. The kid that was hitting 500 foot home runs at 16. But Harper is more than a power hitter. He's got terrific speed--maybe not Mike Trout speed--but he's a future 30/30 guy. And in the outfield, he's a menace. The few players that tested his arm last year learned not to do it again. At 19 years old, and he was throwing lasers from the left field wall--to home plate--on the fly. Harper is going to hit 40 home runs in a season. He might hit 50 home runs. Or more. And he's going to do it soon. And while the eye black and bravado might rub some the wrong way, you have to appreciate his intensity as a baseball fan. He's got some Charlie Hustle in him. He runs out every at bat like his life depended on it. He's got two speeds. Mach 2 and Mach 3. And his intensity is infectious. It could be a coincidence that the Nationals are World Series favorites now that he's arrived. But I don't think so. Bryce Harper could be the greatest pure power hitter since Mickey Mantle.

On the other coast is another freak. He's a few years older than Harper, and he throws the ball for a living. But he's just as nasty. Maybe more so.

Clayton Kershaw just turned 25. He won the Cy Young in 2011. He should have won it last year (finishing second to R.A. Dickey). His numbers the last three seasons are mind boggling: 48 wins against 24 losses. A 2.56 ERA. 689 strikeouts, and a 1.055 WHIP. That's from age 22 to 24.

One of the greatest pitchers to ever step on a mound threw out the first pitch today at Dodger Stadium's Opening Day. Sandy Koufax dominated in a way that few pitchers ever have. When he sat down to watch the game, he had to smile watching Kershaw. Ho hum. Another spectacular performance. A complete game shutout of the defending World Champs. 7 strikeouts. No walks. Oh yeah, and he hit a bomb to the deepest part of the stadium for his first career home run.

We are witnessing one of the greatest pitchers in my lifetime guys. Outside of Matt Kemp, the Dodgers haven't had much of a lineup the last few years. Well, now Matt's got some help. And Kershaw is going to get the run support to win 20 games. Maybe 25. He's going to collect more Cy Youngs. Lots more. And the World Series ring will come also. But right now, his best baseball card is still affordable.

If you haven't done so, you guys need to add these two cards to your collection: Bryce Harper's 2010 Bowman Chrome, and Clayton Kershaw's 2006 Bowman Chrome auto. I have both raw, and I'm going to be getting another one of each graded to stick in my safe.

Last edited by the 'stache; 04-02-2013 at 06:41 AM.

Collecting pre-war, vintage and modern baseball cards.
Currently working on the T206 set, 1975 Topps, master collections of Roberto Clemente and Robin Yount.

I agree with this but after seeing people like Brandon Webb and Johan Santana go down and basically have their careers ended fairly early I wouldn't be jumping on the long term bandwagon for any pitcher even Kershaw and Strasburg. Hitters can bounce back from injuries but pitchers seem to be hit or miss still even with all the medical advancements.